Group set to make Malaysia as hub for haj, umrah travels

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) is poised to establish Malaysia as the hub in the region for haj and umrah pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia — riding on the success of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

Its managing director Datuk Badlisham Ghazali said KLIA had gained traction for umrah traffic from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and China. “Right now, the hub is here. Umrah traffic will begin here before it goes to Saudi Arabia.”

Badlisham said MAHB piloted the pre-clearance by the Saudi Arabia immigration for haj last year. “This year we are pleased to do another pilot phase for haj season for the pre-clearance with the Saudi government.”

Badlisham said MAHB would work closely with Malaysia Airlines, Tabung Haji, the Immigration Department and the Saudi government to open up preclearance for other nationalities for haj and umrah.

“Therefore, Malaysia will become an attractive location, which in turn would boost KLIA as an attractive hub going forward,” he said.

According to United Arab Emirates news service The National, under Saudi Arabia’s transformation programme, the number of haj pilgrims is envisaged to reach 2.5 million by 2020, with umrah pilgrims expected to more than double to 15 million from seven million last year.

Badlisham said the pre-clearance hub would assist pilgrims to enter Saudi Arabia easily.

On another note, MAHB is also preparing to grow connectivity in Asia, especially from KLIA to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Manila and cities in China and India.

“We have the capacity at klia2 and airside at KLIA. Our timing is just right. It’s not too late to attract these carriers into Malaysia,” he said, noting that MAHB had also established strategic collaboration with the tourism sector to realise Visit Malaysia 2020 goals.

Visit Malaysia 2020 is a landmark initiative in realising the goals of the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan, to welcome 36 million tourists by 2020 and register RM168 billion in tourist receipts.

“Together with Tourism Malaysia, we have put a dollar-todollar incentive for tour agents and airlines to step up their marketing efforts to draw more passengers and new routes into Malaysia,” he said.

Badlisham said the initiative would help MAHB bring new airlines with new routes as well as increase flight frequencies.